Say Something
by DrarryLover4Ever
Summary: Harry and Draco both work at the Ministry: Harry as an auror, and Draco in the Department of Mysteries. The two had been dating for many years, when Draco started to change drastically and Harry simply couldn't take it anymore. What happens next is a journey that Draco must take in order to get Harry back and it will be a dangerous journey.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Surprise! It's only been a year since I last posted a story, but when one pops into your head and you get on a roll, a story is created! I'm sure many of you have heard the song Say Something by A Great Big World (side note: that song is theirs and I take no credit for it, I just used it for inspiration). I like the song, but it's so sad which creates a great Drarry story :). Now when I originally started this story, I had something else in mind, but as what usually happens, it went in a different direction that I really like. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Summary: Harry and Draco both work at the Ministry: Harry as an auror, and Draco in the Department of Mysteries. The two had been dating for many years, when Draco started to change drastically and Harry simply couldn't take it anymore. What happens next is a journey that Draco must take in order to get Harry back and it will be a dangerous journey.**

**Another side note: There are some flashbacks in the story and I will mark them so it doesn't get confusing.**

**Say Something**

**Chapter 1**

I've heard that love can surprise you. I've heard that you can find love in the most unexpected places. I've heard that you can fall out of love just as easily as you fell in. I've heard that love can last a lifetime.

There are lots of things I've heard about love, but when you have the kind of love that I have, the unexpected and difficult kind, the rules of love don't apply. I fell hard for someone, a former enemy, and he made me so happy, for so long. Somewhere along the way, we lost each other. I'm not sure if it was my fault. I think it was, but I don't know. Maybe there were things that I did, that I didn't realize that I had done. We had fought and made up so many times that I've lost count. After our last fight, we talked and had a very long discussion. At least, I think we talked. I'm not really sure. I don't know where my head has been these past few months.

I sighed and looked around the pub. A band was setting up. I heard the pub door open and I looked over. Blaise and Theo were walking in, coming towards me. I turned back and looked down at my empty pint.

"Hey, mate," Blaise said as he slapped me on the shoulder and sat down next to me. Theo patted me on the other shoulder and sat on the other side of me. They both motioned to the bartender who set about making their drinks.

"Surprised to see you here. You've been so busy at work. What mysteries are they cooking up now?" Theo commented.

I snorted. "You know I can't tell you that."

Blaise chuckled. "We know. It's just, Draco, you've been working a lot. Do you realize that you haven't left the ministry for three months? I mean you've gone home and slept and maybe eaten, but that's about it. When was the last time you made time for anyone?"

I frowned. Had it really been three months since I had left my work? I was working on a secret project, as are all projects in the Department of Mysteries, and since I am the only one working the project I suppose I did spend a lot of time working, but had it really been three months? "Has it really been that long?"

Blaise and Theo looked at one another. "Yes," they said in unison. I looked closely at them both. They looked worried. I frowned and looked down at my pint again. Three months?

"Good evening. We are the Golden Snitches and we are your entertainment for the night so sit back and relax!" the lead singer announced with a sonorus charm. The band started to play.

"Draco, when was the last time you saw _him_?" Theo questioned.

I looked at him. _Him_? My eyes widened. When was the last time I had seen him? "I don't know…." I trailed off, unable to comprehend the fact that I couldn't remember the last time I had seen the love of my life and we even lived together.

"Um, excuse me folks. It appears that we have a special song request," the lead singer paused. Draco turned to look at him. He was reading something and frowning. He looked up again and cleared his throat. "Um, Draco Malfoy, this is for you," the lead singer continued. He scanned the room looking apologetic.

I frowned. Blaise and Theo shifted uncomfortably next to me. Who would request a song that was meant for me?

The band began playing and the tune was so sad. I was entranced by the song.

Say something, I'm giving up on you  
I'll be the one, if you want me to  
Anywhere I would've followed you  
Say something, I'm giving up on you

And I am feeling so small  
It was over my head  
I know nothing at all

And I will stumble and fall  
I'm still learning to love  
Just starting to crawl

Say something, I'm giving up on you  
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you  
Anywhere I would've followed you  
Say something, I'm giving up on you

And I will swallow my pride  
You're the one that I love  
And I'm saying goodbye

Say something, I'm giving up on you  
And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you  
And anywhere I would've followed you (Oh-oh-oh-oh)  
Say something, I'm giving up on you

Say something, I'm giving up on you  
Say something...

The song ended and I sat there, tears in the corners of my eyes and my heart racing. Blaise and Theo started to reach out towards me. I shook my head. I threw some money on the bar and rushed out of the pub. My mind was racing. The song was still playing in my head. I had to get home.

I arrived at the apparition point and nearly splinched myself in a rush to get home. I arrived in one piece and ran up to our modest home and rushed in the door.

"Harry!" I cried as I started rushing through the house looking for him. "Harry! Where are you?" My voice caught in my throat as I searched every room for him. He wasn't there. I stopped, breathing heavily and looked around. His stuff was gone. Every last item that he had brought into our home was gone. I walked into our shared quarters and opened the closet. His side was empty. Nothing was left. My bottom lip began to quiver as I stumbled over to our bed and sat down. I dropped my head into my hands and sat there, trying to breathe, but my chest felt constricted and my heart wouldn't stop pounding. He was gone. He had said goodbye….

**XXXX**

**Flashback**

I sat in my small office at the ministry, looking over some paperwork that had been sent down to me from the auror department. We worked closely with the auror department, or at least as closely as we could considering the Department of Mysteries was meant to be, well, a mystery. I sat back and closed my eyes. A knock sounded at my open door and I opened one eye to see who was at my door. Within seconds my eyes were both open and both wide.

"Excuse me, Malfoy, I'm just here to check on the status of some paperwork that was turned in. We need to have it prepped for the Wizengamot as they are trying a suspect next week," Harry Potter said from my doorway.

I hadn't seen Potter in a long time. He had gone into auror training shortly after school was over and I took an ability test that the Ministry offered and tested high in the Department of Mysteries so I decided to see where that led me. That had been a few years ago. He looked amazing. He had always been good looking in the heroic, poor boy sort of way. Looking at him now, the poor boy was gone, but the hero was still there and he looked damn fine.

Potter had grown a bit taller since school, still shorter than me, but taller than he had been. His hair was cut shorter, a little less unruly, and his round specs had been replaced with stylish frames that seemed to make his beautiful green eyes pop more. The muscles beneath his robes were defined. I couldn't find a single thing that I didn't like about what I was seeing.

I took a deep breath before I stood and walked around my desk, to the front. I leaned against it and crossed my arms. "What's the case number?" I asked in a cool voice.

Potter looked down at the parchment in his hand. "011129281124," he replied. I watched him for a moment and he looked at me expectantly. I sighed and walked back around my desk and sat down again. I opened a large book that had all our case files listed and their locations.

"Have a seat, Potter. It will take me a few minutes to find the case file. We've got a lot of files here," I said as I gestured to the seats in front of me. He hesitated for a moment, but sat down.

I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he looked around my office. "Did you get married?" he asked.

I stopped my scanning of files and looked up at him. "Excuse me?" I wasn't sure if I had heard him right and his question seemed so random.

He cleared his throat. "Well, I, uh, had heard that you were getting married so I was just curious if you had…" he trailed off at the end.

I smiled slightly because I saw a glimpse of the old, uncomfortable Potter from Hogwarts. "Um, no, that didn't happen. It had been all arranged, but then I told my parents that she wasn't my preference and the marriage never happened," I explained.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Preference?" he questioned.

I smiled a bit more. "Don't you read the Prophet?"

He shook his head. "I don't read that trash. I prefer the Quibbler," he replied.

I nodded in agreement. "I agree, the Prophet is trash. I'm pretty sure that Luna had written something about the marriage not happening in the Quibbler as well," I said.

Potter shrugged. "I've been out of touch with the news," he said quietly, looking away.

I was intrigued by his response. As a man who worked in the Department of Mysteries, I wasn't a stranger to the concept of keeping secrets. "Well, I came out, stating that my preference was not witches, but wizards instead. My father didn't take it well, but he's over it now so its fine," I explained.

Harry's eyes widened a fraction in surprise. He nodded and then looked away. Huh, no snarky response? Interesting. "That's really great," he commented absently. He stood up and walked towards a display case that had several weird and interesting artifacts that I had encountered during my time with the Department of Mysteries. I admired him from this distance.

"Didn't you get married?" I asked him. I saw him stumble slightly and reach out for the cabinet edge. I lifted an eyebrow. I saw him gulp and I knew that I had touched on a nerve.

He cleared his throat. "Um, no, I didn't. We were going to, but it didn't work out…." He trailed off and then glanced back over at me. His cheeks were red. I had embarrassed him.

"Well, that's in the past. Time to move forward, eh?" I commented, trying to lighten the mood. Potter nodded slightly and then walked back over and sat down. He wouldn't make eye contact with me. This was awkward.

I returned my attention to my ledger and after a few more tense moments, I found the file he was looking for. I reached for my wand and saw Potter twitch towards his own wand. I chuckled and shook my head. I muttered under my breath as I swished my wand around for a couple of seconds. I set my wand back in its holster as a file appeared on my desk. I picked it up and handed it to him.

"Please confirm the case number and the name," I stated in a professional tone. Potter nodded and looked down. He scanned the number and opened the file, scanning that as well. He nodded again and looked up at me.

"Thank you, Malfoy. It was nice to see you. Really," he said as he smiled the most handsome smile I had ever seen. I could feel my cheeks warming at his smile.

"Um, you're welcome. Nice to see you as well," I said as I stood up from my desk. We stared awkwardly at one another for a moment before Potter nodded and started for the door. "Wait!" I called out to him, but immediately regretted it after old childhood fears bubbled to the surface. I pushed them down, put on a brave face, and looked at him again. "So, would you like to get a drink sometime?"

Potter's eyes widened. "Uh, yeah, that would be great," he said. It took everything in me not to stand there with my mouth gaping open in surprise. That was not the response I was expecting.

"Okay, great, um, I'll owl you," I replied, my voice shaking slightly. He nodded once again and then left my office with a small wave. I was getting a drink with Harry Potter. I sat down heavily in my chair and I'm pretty sure I had a goofy grin on my face that no Malfoy should ever have.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: One more chapter for you all tonight. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2**

I lifted my head from my hands and looked over at Harry's side of the closet again. How had this happened? How had we grown so far apart? What happened to us? I stood and walked over to the floo in our bedroom. I threw in some floo powder and knelt down next to it. "Harry's office!" I called out.

I placed my head in the flames and was instantly in Harry's office. His office was bare. It had never been bare since we'd been together. He always had all sorts of knick knacks in there and things that represented him. Had he left his job too?

Someone walked in. "Excuse me?" I called out.

The person shrieked and then turned to look over at the fireplace. It was a woman that I had never seen before. "Merlin, you scared me! Can I help you?" she asked. She knelt down as well.

"Um, I'm looking for Harry Potter," I told her.

She scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. She glanced around the room and then back at me. "Oh, yes, this used to be his office. Uh, he is no longer in this office. He was promoted to deputy head auror about two months ago," she explained.

Now it was my turn to look confused. "Deputy head auror? Two months ago?" I questioned in disbelief.

She looked at me with a worried expression. "What is your name?" she asked.

"Draco Malfoy," I muttered absently. Where the hell had I been?

She sucked in a breath and sat back on her heels. "Auror Potter's boyfriend, that's right," she replied quietly.

Her reaction caught my attention and I looked back at her. "Can you tell me what office he's in?" I questioned.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but Auror Potter has taken a leave of absence from the department. It was effective today. I'm not sure when he'll be returning," she explained. She looked apologetic, but there was also a hint of anger towards me.

A leave of absence? "I see. Thank you." I sat back on my heels and cut off the connection with Harry's old office. I couldn't believe that I had missed all of this. Had my mind been so muddled and distracted with the project I was working on that I didn't know about anything that was happening in his life? Merlin, I had to find him. I had to try and explain whatever it was that had happened. I stood and walked from our bedroom. I grabbed a cloak on the way out the door and headed to the next place that Harry could possibly be at.

**XXXX**

**Flashback**

I sat in a booth at a pub near the ministry. Potter was ten minutes late. I'd give him another five before leaving. I wasn't about to be stood up. I was starting to fume a bit at the fact that he was late when the pub door opened and a slightly frantic looking Harry Potter came rushing in. His eyes scanned the pub quickly before his eyes settled on me. He smiled at me in relief and all my anger towards him melted away.

"I am so sorry. I got held up at work. I was worried that I had missed you," he said breathlessly as he settled in across from me. His cheeks were turning red in embarrassment. I wasn't sure if it was because he was late or because he had said more than he had wanted to.

I smiled at him. "What would you like to drink?"

"Oh, uh, firewhiskey sounds good," he replied. I gestured for the barkeep and returned my attention to Potter.

"How was work then?" I asked.

Potter blew out a breath and shook his head. He took off his glasses and rubbed his face. "Well, we are training some new auror candidates and today was a particularly difficult day with them. Some of them have these chips on their shoulders that are refusing to be patched up. They kind of remind me of you when you were at Hogwarts actually," he replied with a chuckle.

"Entitled? Spoiled? Babyish?" I questioned. Potter's eyes widened and he looked slightly worried that I was angry. I laughed. "Don't feel bad. I was a major prat at Hogwarts. The worst. No need to feel bad about acknowledging that. It took you and everything that happened seventh year for me to realize that the person I was, was not the person I should be."

He smiled slightly and nodded. "Well, I should say they remind me of the third year you. When you got older, I could see a change in you. I think your eyes opened up towards the end," he said quietly.

He was right. I had started to see that the path my family was on, was not the way to go. In the end, my family had defected to avoid imprisonment, but I had always wondered what would have been, had I gone to the right side a lot sooner. "You're right, they did. I just wish it hadn't been too late. Anyway, I can already tell you that I feel sorry for all of you in having to deal with that," I replied.

Potter chuckled. "Yes, I feel sorry for myself. It's fine. I'm sure eventually they'll figure it out, but until then I'm going to have to practice patience. How was your work today?"

I laughed. "You know I can't tell you anything about that."

Potter blushed. I was beginning to like this shade of red on his cheeks. "Right. I forget how secretive it is sometimes. Well, was it a successful day or were there some hiccups?"

I smiled. "It was a successful day," I replied.

He nodded. The barkeep walked over and brought Potter his drink. He sipped at it and we made small talk for awhile. We mostly discussed Quidditch and the latest Weasley creations at the joke shop. I never went to the store simply because I couldn't face the Weasley family yet, even after five years. I just couldn't do it. I ordered stuff from their catalog under a different name. Potter didn't seem to notice that I had no clue what the inside of the shop looked like.

"Hermione and Ron are getting married next year and Mione has been a bit more eccentric lately. I keep trying to calm her down and tell her that she has plenty of time to get ready, but that typically launches her into a laundry list of things that she needs to get done before next year. Ron, on the other hand, is as calm as a cucumber. For now anyway," Potter explained.

It was interesting to listen to him talk about his friends. He was calm and I didn't feel the spite between us anymore. "I can imagine how she must be. If Hogwarts is any indication….." I smiled.

Potter nodded and chuckled. He glanced down at his time piece and his eyes widened. "Wow, look at the time. I should probably head home. I've got another early day tomorrow. Thank you for having a drink with me. It was really nice," he said as he gathered his cloak and stood up. I grabbed my things and stood up as well.

"Let me walk with you," I stated. Potter was fumbling for some galleons in his pocket when I reached out and touched his wrist to stop him. It felt as if a jolt went through my system at the touch and Potter seemed to feel it as well because he looked up at me with an expression that I couldn't read. I cleared my throat. "I've got it," I said quietly as I placed some money on the table. I removed my hand from his wrist and busied my hands with the clasp on my cloak. Potter seemed to be dealing with the same confusion that I was. He turned and headed for the door. I followed after him.

He walked ahead of me for a moment before he slowed down and started walking beside me. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"Not a problem. I did ask you for a drink after all. It seemed suiting to pay," I replied with a slight chuckle. I was trying to regain the mood from before I touched him, but the air seemed to be thick with tension.

We rounded a corner of a building into a more secluded area. It was often used for apparating. We stopped at about the middle of the area. Potter turned towards me. "So, um, it was kind of like a date then?" he questioned.

My eyes widened and my pulse quickened. A date? "Um, I guess, I mean, if paying signifies a date then sure," I replied. I didn't know Potter's preferences so I wasn't sure what he was getting at here. Was he just joking about it being a date?

"Okay. Well, is it too early to ask for a second date?" he questioned.

I smiled. My belly warmed. I felt impulsive. A second date with Harry Potter? How had we come to this? I stepped towards him and reached out, wrapping an arm around his waist, and pulling him towards me. His eyes widened almost comically, but I ignored it and the bells in my head telling me to slow down, and kissed him lightly on the lips. It took him just a second to respond before he returned the kiss.

It was over rather quickly and soon there was space between us again. He was a nice shade of pink and I imagined I was as well. "Owl me?" I asked with a lifted eyebrow.

Potter smiled and nodded. He gave me a small wave before he apparated away. I stared at the spot he had been, touched my lips, and smiled. I guess I now knew what his preference was.

**XXXX**

I rushed into the pub where we had our first date. I knew it was a favorite of his and we went there often.

"Draco! Haven't seen you in a long time!" the barkeep, Ben, hollered from the bar. I looked around, but didn't see Harry anywhere. I sighed and walked up to the bar and sat down.

"Have you seen Harry?" I asked.

Ben frowned. "He was here a couple of nights ago. He was sitting over in the booth you two always sat at. He had been watching the door and checking his timepiece. He was here for a couple of hours and then he left."

I looked over at our booth. "Was he alone?"

Ben shifted uncomfortably. "Yes. He said that you and he had a date to celebrate an anniversary or something. It looks like you're a couple of days late for the date," he pointed out.

I sighed and rested my head against the bar. It was the anniversary of our first date three years ago. How could I have forgotten? "Our first date." I shook my head. My heart ached as I realized just what I had missed. I had never missed any of our anniversaries, ever.

"Thank you, Ben. I'll see you around," I said as I stood up and left. I heard him call my name, but I ignored him. I had to fix this.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Another chapter for you. This is a relatively short story so I hope that you are all enjoying it! There is some snogging in this chapter :)**

**Flashback**

I looked up from my desk at the sound of someone at my office door. Harry was standing there with a warm smile on his face. "Are you busy?" he asked.

I smiled back. "I'm never too busy for you," I told him. I stood and walked around my desk as he closed the door behind him. As soon as we heard the click, we were in each other's arms, kissing each other frantically. I slipped my hands into his robes and reached under his shirt to brush against his smooth skin. His hands were at my hips, pulling me towards his own body, pushing our bodies together. We had gone on a second date, and then a third, and then a fourth, and had subsequently lost count of exactly how many dates we had been on. We were thoroughly enjoying each other's company.

He pushed against me and I bumped up against my desk. I flipped us around and Harry hopped up onto the desk. His arms looped around my neck and mine continued to caress his sides as we kissed each other deeply. One of us finally broke the kiss and we looked at each other, breathing heavily and smiling.

I leaned forward and kissed his cheek and jaw. "Hey," I whispered into his ear as I kissed his ear lobe. He shuddered under my touch.

"Hey," he replied in a shaky voice. I leaned back and smiled at him. He smiled back, his cheeks coloring nicely. "I did come down here in an official capacity too," he muttered.

"I'm sure you did," I replied as I nuzzled his neck, pressing light kisses there.

He laughed and pushed against me. "For real," Harry said again.

I sighed and let go of him reluctantly and went around to my side of the desk to sit down. We had been dating for several months now and we were going slow which was perfect for us both. It was new territory, especially for Harry. He had been in love, or so he thought, with a woman before he figured out that he fancied wizards more. I didn't want to pressure him because I had known a whole hell of a lot longer than he did about what I preferred. We were happy and that's all that mattered to me.

"I'm sorry. You know what you do to me," I apologized, sort of.

He smiled and blushed. "I know," he paused and that made me take him more seriously than before. "Listen, there are rumors abound up in the auror department that something is going on in the Department of Mysteries that shouldn't be. Above and beyond the mysteries part of this department," Harry continued.

I lifted an eyebrow. Was the department using Harry's connection to me in order to get intel on the Department of Mysteries? I was instantly suspicious. "Hmmm, so what is your purpose here then?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably and bit his bottom lip. He avoided my gaze so I knew that my assumption was accurate. "Well, uh, I am here mostly because I want to let you know what's being said to protect you and give you a heads up, but also to ask if you know anything that might help," he replied.

I crossed my arms. I felt my temper flaring. "So you're using me, is that it? You thought you'd butter me up by snogging me until I couldn't see straight and then ask me for information about something that you know damn well I can't talk about?" I demanded, my voice rising.

Harry's gaze narrowed. "I did not _use _you. I know that you can't talk about your business, but I at least thought I should try. Feel like I could do something about the situation. I am an _auror_ after all," he responded through clenched teeth.

"Well, you're wasting your breath, Harry, because there isn't a damn thing I can tell you nor am I willing to tell you," I responded heatedly.

He stood up and glared down at me. "So you do know something…." He trailed off, his nostrils were flaring. I could see the familiar animosity between us from Hogwarts and I didn't like it. Plus, I didn't know anything about whatever he was talking about, whatever the situation was. I was a low-level employee in the Department of Mysteries at this point.

I stood up and tried to relax my shoulders and expression. I didn't want to fight with Harry. "Look, I don't know anything about this. I am a low-level employee. I mostly just file papers and work with the auror department when needed. But you know that even if I was a higher up, I wouldn't be able to tell you anything," I explained as calmly as I could.

Harry was already fired up and as I knew from school, he wouldn't calm down easily. "Somehow I see that as being a problem in the future," he said in a tense voice.

I walked around my desk and reached out towards him, but he shook his head and stepped back. "Harry, come on," I said quietly.

"I need to go. I shouldn't have come down here. I didn't realize you'd assume I was _using _you," Harry stated. He shook his head once more and then walked out of my office.

We had just had our first real fight and I didn't like it at all.

**XXXX**

I stood outside the pub from our first date, trying to decide where to go next. I decided to go to the ministry to see if any of Harry's auror mates could give me any idea where he was.

I stepped in the phone booth that was just down the block from the pub. I didn't have to travel far since the auror department was much closer than my department. Once I got to the floor, I entered the auror department wing and walked up to the secretary. I recognized her as the woman from earlier. She looked up at me and gasped.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, um, how can I help you?" she questioned. She glanced around and almost looked fearful of me. Earlier she looked angry at me. What was wrong with this woman?

"I'm looking for Auror O'Reiley. Is he here?" I asked. John O'Reiley was Harry's partner, or previous partner anyway.

She glanced around again. She reached towards a buzzer system and pressed a button. "Auror O'Reiley, Draco Malfoy to see you," she said, her voice shaking.

"Malfoy?" John said in a surprised, but leery tone. What the hell? What had I done?

"Yes, sir," she replied. There was a pause before he buzzed back.

"I'll be there in just a moment," he responded.

She went to repeat what he had just said, but I simply nodded and stepped back from the desk. I glanced at the wall that showed the head auror and saw Harry's smiling face next to him with Deputy Head Auror beneath his picture. He looked amazing, but I noticed something in his eyes that didn't match the smile on his face. It was sadness. I knew that I had put that there.

I heard feet shuffling behind me and I turned to look. John stopped short of me and stared at me with wide eyes. I tried to smile at him, but he seemed leery of me. "John, thank you for meeting with me," I said.

He nodded. "Um, let's go this way," John said as he pointed towards where I knew the conference rooms were.

I wondered for a moment if Harry was in his office and that is why he didn't want me to go back there. I followed him though. He opened a door to one of the conference rooms further away from the front. I walked in and he followed behind me, shutting the door behind us. "I'm sorry to just drop in on you like this, but…." I stopped as John walked around the table and conjured up a mirror. He handed it to me.

"Have you looked at yourself lately?" he asked.

I lifted an eyebrow in question and reached out for the mirror. I slowly lifted it towards me and as soon as my face appeared I gasped and nearly dropped the mirror. I closed my eyes several times. I didn't recognize myself. Merlin, what had happened to me? My hair had thinned a lot and my hair line had receded. I had wrinkles in places that I shouldn't have wrinkles at my age. My skin was an ashen gray and my eyes were dull. I looked so much older than I was, older than my father even.

I set the mirror down and collapsed into a chair. What happened to me? "Merlin, John, I don't even recognize myself," I whispered.

"Harry said the same thing about you," John replied quietly. He sat down across from me.

I looked up at him. "How could I not realize what was happening to me? For Merlin's sake, I'm obsessed with my looks, how could I not see this?" I demanded as I pointed to my face and my hair, my beautiful blond hair.

John frowned. "Draco, you've barely left the Department of Mysteries," he started.

"I'm aware of this," I interrupted. I looked over at him apologetically. "Sorry, you're just not the first person to tell me that today."

"I understand. Listen, Draco, Harry came to you a couple of years ago about something going on in the Department of Mysteries that shouldn't be. Do you remember that?" John asked. I nodded. Of course, I remembered, I just relived it not too long ago. "You couldn't or wouldn't tell him anything then nor the months after. You promoted quickly in the department, right?"

I sat up a bit straighter. I had been promoted awfully quick. "Yes," I replied uncertainly.

"What is the project you've been working on for the past three months?" John asked.

I narrowed my gaze at him. He brought me in here for questioning, not to talk to me about Harry. "John, are you interrogating me?" I demanded.

He shook his head. "No, Draco, I'm not. I'm simply asking you if you know what you've been working on these past three months?"

I stared at him. Of course, I knew…. Wait, what was I working on? What were the elements of the project? What had literally been sucking the life out of me? "Uh…. I don't know, John. I honestly cannot think of a single part of the project…." I trailed off. I felt funny. This didn't seem right to me. I had a complete block in my mind of what I was working on. I never forgot anything. I always knew every angle of what I was working on. Why couldn't I remember a single thing right now?

John sat back, looking worried. "That's what I was afraid of. We think that whatever you're working on is not only blocking your memory, but also aging you. I've talked with Harry extensively over the past three months about how much you've changed and we've gathered a file on what this project has been doing to you. You're not the same person as you were. Whatever it is that you're working on, it's killing you," he stated.

My eyes widened. Before today, before the song, I didn't think there was anything different about me. I still felt like the same person, but I've learned today that I am not. "John, where's Harry? I need to see him. I need him to help me figure this out," I begged. I needed to see him and feel him and kiss him. Bring me back to myself in at least some form.

John shook his head. "I don't know, Draco. He took a leave and even I don't know where he is. Harry has been working hard on your case. Trying to figure out what was happening to you. He knew two years ago that there was something not right happening down in the Department of Mysteries and he knew that he needed to figure it out as fast as possible in order to keep you safe. He hit wall after wall, trying to figure it out. When you started to change so drastically three months ago, he knew that whatever was happening down there was more than your department should be doing. I think he found a lead or something and that's why he left."

My eyes widened at his explanation. I was afraid for Harry. Messing around with the Department of Mysteries was not a good idea. Clearly there was something going on down there because I was aging at a rapid pace and if John was right, it was killing me. Harry can't be involved in this. He just can't. "I'm going down there to figure this out. I can't let Harry do this," I replied. I stood up and started for the door.

"Draco, you can't go down there. If you go down there, it will continue to suck the life out of you. Go home and take a break. Maybe then you'll remember what you're working on. If you go down there, your mind will just be blocked off again. Has your mind already opened up since you've been out of there?" John questioned. He had come around to my side of the table and was standing next to me now.

I frowned. I didn't know. I mean, I was remembering things about Harry, but didn't I always think about him? No, wait, earlier I couldn't remember the last time I had even seen him, but since I went home, after the song, to find Harry's stuff gone, I was thinking about him and only him. Yes, being away has opened up my mind. "Yes, I think so," I replied unsurely.

John nodded encouragingly. "I'm going to add that to our file. Draco, do not go back in there. Go somewhere else and stay away from there. Don't go in there. No matter the pull you might feel, you have to stay away," he implored.

The pull? As soon as I thought it, I felt it. My body wanted to go to my work and my office. It wanted me in there. Merlin, what is happening to me? "John, I need to get out of here. I feel it," I muttered as I reached to open the door. John reached out and touched my arm.

"Harry loves you. He truly does. Keep him in the forefront of your mind. Go home," John said in a soothing voice.

I nodded. I quickly left the auror department without looking back. I quickly made my way to the Atrium level to floo home. I was so close to the Department of Mysteries and the pull was so strong. Something had been done to me. I needed to go home to figure out what it was. I forced myself into a floo and made it home. As soon as I was there, the pull lessened. What was going to happen now?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So this is a rather sexual chapter, just a heads up!**

**Flashback**

I stood in my kitchen, fixing leftovers for dinner. My house elf, that had followed me from home, stood by wanting to help, but I was so lost in my own world thinking about the fight with Harry that I didn't pay him any mind. I hadn't spoken to Harry since our fight earlier that day. He didn't come to see me and he didn't send an owl. I couldn't think about much else.

I heard a knock at my front door. My friends and parents had access to my doorstep so I didn't think much about who was at my door until I opened it and stared at the person standing there.

"So…. I'm sorry?" they stated in a questioning tone.

I sighed and leaned against the door jam. "I'm sorry, too," I replied.

"I shouldn't have asked you about something I knew you couldn't tell me about. I'm just not liking what I'm hearing and I'm worried about you," Harry stated with a shrug.

My heart constricted at this because this was the first time he expressed a deeper emotion for me. That hadn't happened before today. "Would you like to come in?" I asked quietly. He nodded and came in.

"I hope it's alright that I came by instead of owled. I didn't think an apology via owl would be the way to go," he added.

"It's fine. I was just fixing up some leftovers, but I'm sure my house elf would gladly make us something if you'd like something to eat," I told him as I walked back to my kitchen, Harry following.

"Um, yeah, sure. Are you good to your house elf?" he questioned.

I chuckled. "Yes, I am. He actually followed me from the Manor. We were always partial to one another," I replied truthfully.

Harry nodded. "Sorry, a bit of Hermione's S.P.E.W. rubbed off on me."

I turned to look at him with lifted brow. "S.P.E.W., now that is something I haven't heard in a long time. Of course, she did decide on working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures so I guess it paid off eventually," I said with a chuckle.

Harry laughed along with me. "I didn't really picture her elsewhere anyway."

I nodded in agreement. We sat down and ate dinner, making small talk as we usually do. We avoided our fight from earlier in the day. I didn't want to bring it up on an empty stomach anyway, well, actually at all. I knew it would come up though because even though Harry had apologized, I had learned that it didn't mean he was done talking about it.

We went into my sitting room and I sat down at one end of the couch and Harry sat down at the other. My house elf brought us tea and then retired for the evening. There was silence between us so I knew that Harry was thinking about the fight and thinking about what he could say to me right now. He sighed several times before he finally spoke up.

"Draco, I really think that there is something going on in your department that shouldn't be and I am really afraid that you are going to get pulled into it and I don't want that for you. I don't want something to happen to you," he said quietly.

That warm feeling settled in again. "Harry, despite the reputation the Department of Mysteries has, it's really not as mysterious. I think that you might be taking what you know about it and making more out of it than there really is," I reminded him.

Harry sat up straighter. "You haven't actually been into any of the rooms, have you? You stick to the area just outside the long hallway that leads to that one black door. I have seen what is in there. I know that there is something in there that shouldn't be. We send you any of our cases that have even the faintest hint of mystery that we can't explain. I know there is more to where you work than you are telling me. Have you taken the Unspeakable oath?"

I narrowed my gaze at him. I understood where his emotions were coming from, but seriously? He may be worried about me, but this is taking it further than necessary. "No, I have not taken the Unspeakable oath and I probably never will because I am not integral to the department and I don't want that burden anyway. You know that. I know that you've seen a lot in there and I know that you have a hard time talking about what you've seen, but Harry, this intense worry over me and this big mystery you're thinking of, just isn't necessary. I'm fine and I think you're overreacting."

Harry stood up angrily. "I'm not overreacting! I will find out what's going on down there because I don't' want anything to happen to you!"

"Why do you think something is going to happen to me?" I questioned as I stood up and stepped towards him.

His eyes widened and he stepped back, turning his back to me. "Because I love you and something always happens to the ones I love," he whispered.

My breath caught and my stomach fluttered like a thousand butterflies were taking flight. Harry loved me. No one had ever said that to me. "Harry, I…." I couldn't form any words.

"You don't have to say you love me too just because I did. I do love you and that's what scares me because every person that I've loved, something bad has happened to them and I just simply can't deal with that again," he replied quietly. He turned to look at me. I must have had an odd expression on my face because Harry was looking at me in confusion. "Are you alright?" he asked. He stepped towards me, biting his bottom lip.

I rushed towards him, lifted him off his feet and swung him around. It was ridiculous, but I couldn't think straight at the moment anyway. I set him down and pressed my lips to his. He whimpered in response, relaxing in my arms. He brought his arms around my neck and I just knew I'd lose my nerve if I didn't do what I'd been wanting to do for days.

I pushed Harry up against a wall in the sitting room. I broke our kiss to catch my breath and began kissing along his jaw and neck. I gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it off of him. He fumbled with my shirt and was finally able to take it off. I undid his belt with ease and slid his jeans down quickly. He continued to fumble with mine, but I wasn't making it easy for him. I pushed him away from the wall and down the hallway towards my room. I finally undid my belt and my pants slid down my legs easily enough. I pushed Harry into my room. I kissed him deeply as we made it to my bed. His knees hit the bed and he fell backwards, breaking our kiss.

I stared down at him, breathing heavily. Harry's cheeks were red and at some point his glasses had fallen off. The light fell just so on him that he looked absolutely divine. This was happening.

Harry pushed himself back onto the pillows. He settled against them and stared at me, waiting patiently. I hadn't lost my nerve, but I was marveling at how amazing he looked and how amazing he made me feel.

I climbed onto the bed and crawled up to him. He smiled slightly at me which warmed me to my core. I settled over him, our bodies molding together perfectly. How I never realized that we fit so perfectly is beyond me. We were opposites in everything. It would only seem suiting that we would fit together perfectly.

I kissed him gently, giving us both a minute to rest. I slid off of him and lied next to him. He turned his body so that his back was to my front. I pressed myself against him and it felt amazing. We had snogged plenty and given each other a few hand jobs and blow jobs, but this, this was new, and this was special, and this was the most intimate we had ever been. It was different this time.

I kissed his shoulder and placed my hand on his belly. I slid my hand down and wrapped my hand around his semi-hard cock. He pushed against me and whimpered again. I moaned at the contact, biting his shoulder ever so lightly. I moved my hand up and down his shaft, increasing the pace with each stroke. Harry became harder and harder and he rutted back against me faster and faster. I was going to burst soon, but I couldn't do it yet. I had to be inside of him.

I summoned my wand from my discarded pants and prepared Harry for me. He didn't protest. He seemed slightly uncomfortable, but he allowed me to bring his legs up and rest them on my shoulders. I continued to stroke his member as I stroked inside of him, stretching him for me. He was writhing on the bed moaning and gripping the sheets. His eyes were clenched closed as he finally came all over his stomach. He looked at peace when he finished.

I smiled at him and he smiled at me. I placed myself at his entrance and waited for him to give me the go ahead. He bit his lip and nodded unsurely. I ran one hand down his leg in a soothing motion as I started to push into him. He groaned and arched his back. I stopped and waited, holding my breath. I was barely in his tight heat, but the feeling was like nothing I had ever felt before. He nodded again and I pushed in more.

Once I got past that first ring of muscle, it became easier and Harry relaxed more. Once I was fully sheathed, we paused for a moment, catching our breath. I waited for him to nod again and once he did, I started to move in and out of him slowly. I gripped his hips so tightly that I could feel my muscles shaking. I knew I wouldn't last long, but I had to last as long as I could. Harry started to respond more and began meeting me thrust for thrust. His hand had found his once again hard cock and he was following the same motion as me. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I went faster and faster and I knew that when Harry cried out the first time that I had hit his sweet spot. I continued to aim for that and he continued to cry out.

I came within seconds of speeding up, but it had seemed like an eternity. He came at the same time as me. I released my grip on his hips and his legs slid off of my shoulders as my cock slid out of his entrance. I felt like mush and I collapsed on my stomach next to him, not even bothering to clean either of us up. We were both breathing heavily. We weren't touching and that seemed to be what we both needed considering our heightened senses and what we had just experienced together.

I felt Harry's cleansing spell instead of hearing it. I pushed myself up onto one elbow and then I slid up against him. "Harry, I love you too, and I'm not just saying it because you did or because we just had sex," I whispered to him.

He reached up to bring my face down to his. "You can show me you love me that way anytime," he said cheekily. He gave me a crooked grin before he leaned up, pulling me towards him, and kissed me again.

That was the first night we said we loved each other, the first night we had sex, the first night we slept together, and the night I asked him to move in with me. It was also the week before I was promoted at work.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is the chapter that tells exactly who and what we're dealing with. Enjoy!**

I sat up on my bed. I had just been dreaming of Harry and the night that we had told each other we loved each other and everything that had happened afterwards. I had remembered Harry's fear about losing me because he loved me and it looked like that was happening. I had to figure out what was happening to me and hope that Harry would come back to me.

I got up from my bed and went into my bathroom. I reluctantly looked at myself in the mirror. Somehow I looked older than I had earlier. I turned away from the mirror, swallowing my disgust at my appearance. I rushed downstairs, threw on a cloak, and went to my floo. "Malfoy Manor!" I cried out as I stepped into the flames and disappeared.

I tumbled out of the floo in one of my parents sitting rooms. They weren't in there so I quickly moved out of that room and into the dining room. They were in there, eating a late dinner. My mother gasped when she saw me and dropped her fork. My father had a similar reaction, but he stood instead and strode towards me.

"Draco! What on earth has happened to you?" he demanded. He gripped my shoulders and moved me this way and that as he looked me over. My mother stood and walked over. She gasped again and I could see tears in her eyes as she looked at me. I must look awful to them.

"I need your help. I have barely left work in three months, I'm involved in something that I can't remember what any part of it is, I'm aging at a rapid pace, and I've lost Harry!" I cried. I suddenly felt like crying so I did. My mother took me into her arms and held me as I sobbed uncontrollably. My father had left the room, presumably unable to bear seeing me breakdown. Malfoy's didn't show emotion.

My mother had managed to settle me onto a couch that she must have conjured since there were no couches in the dining room and continued to hold me. I vaguely saw my father walking in again carrying a large book with several others floating behind him. He set them down on the table and started looking through them.

"Lucius, what are you looking for?" my mother asked.

"I'm looking for causes of rapid aging. One that would fit in the Department of Mysteries," he responded.

I had stopped crying and was simply watching my father sift through the tomes that he had brought in. "Draco, you have memory loss, correct?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied, my voice cracking like a boy going through puberty.

"Who put you on this task?" he questioned.

I frowned. I had no idea. I didn't even know who my immediate boss was. "I don't know…." My voice trailed off as I tried to remember something. My father swished his wand and a stone bowl appeared that looked similar to a pensieve, but different.

"Come here, son," he ordered.

I stood quickly, ever the obedient Malfoy, and walked over to him. I looked at the bowl. Instead of the silvery mist of a pensieve, this had a deep, deep purple that looked foreboding. I stepped away from it.

My father turned to face me. He looked younger than I looked and that was scary. "This is a bowl that can help unlock memories that have been blocked by a spell. This is something that Mr. Potter must never know about as it's not something I should have. As a matter of fact, it is something that rightfully belongs to the Department of Mysteries, but they will not be getting it back," he told me. I nodded in understanding. "Now, this works just as a pensieve does, but instead of looking at a memory, it looks for the memories that are blocked or are the ones that you are specifically looking for. You want the memories of your project unlocked so that you can reverse what is happening to you, correct?" he explained.

"Yes, of course. I need this to be over. I need Harry back. I've missed too much already," I replied.

"Alright, I will be right by your side," my father stated.

"I will be too," my mother added as she stepped up next to me. She took my hand in her own and gripped it. I smiled gratefully at her. I saw tears in her eyes and I knew that she was scared. My father took my other hand surprisingly and when I looked at him, I could see the worry in his eyes as well. It made me feel better knowing that they were there.

We leaned forward and were instantly pulled into the dark liquid. I was beginning to feel suffocated and I could feel my parents grip on my hands tighten. I imagined they were feeling the same.

I was just about to have a full blown panic attack when a brighter light started to appear. I followed it because any light was better than the deep purple that I was currently swimming in.

"Draco, your mother and I can't see any of this. Everything is dark to us," my father said. His voice was fearful.

"Don't panic. We can't be hurt, right?" I asked.

"Right," my father assured me.

I nodded even though he couldn't see me nodding. The memory materialized and I was standing in my new office, the one I got when I was promoted. Within the Department of Mysteries, there are 12 doors that lead to different places within level 9. Each door is the same so it is difficult to assess where you are, but each door enters into a mysterious area and outside that mysterious area, are offices. These offices are for the Unspeakables. I remembered that in this memory, I had just been called down from my old office, the one Harry could access. I hadn't been down this far in the department. I had no idea what I was doing there.

A man walked in who was tall and very pale. His hair was white and his skin was paper thin. He was ashen in his face and his eyes looked dead. I was beginning to remember that day. I remember feeling frightened by this man, but as soon as he began to speak, he soothed me and I was no longer frightened. Watching myself in this memory, I could see that he had been working magic on me. He was soothing me, but I could see the he was still a very scary man.

"Draco Malfoy, I've heard great things about you," he began. I watched myself and I could see his voice relaxing me, but for me, watching myself, I felt goosebumps rise on my skin and felt the hair on my neck stand up.

"Thank you, sir," memory me replied.

"I have a project that I'd like you to begin working on. We are just in the research portion of the project, but I believe it is a project that is right up your alley," the man explained.

"Oh, what kind of project is it?" memory me asked.

He chuckled. "Eager, are we? Good, I like to see that. You have to take the unspeakable oath before I can begin to tell you of the project, are you willing to do that?" he asked. I could see the magic drifting from him and on to memory me. He was making me agree to the oath. I saw in my eyes that I didn't want to and he must have sensed that as well because the magic drifting from him became more intense.

"Yes, I will take the oath," memory me replied in a flat tone.

"Father, the man cast some sort of spell on me to agree to the unspeakable oath," I whispered.

"What does he look like, Draco?" my mother asked.

"Very scary. He's tall, and pale, very, very pale. He's old and looks ashen and his eyes look dead," I whispered.

I heard my father gulp. "Draco, have you ever heard of Sceledrus Fade?"

Chills ran down my spine. "Based on how I'm feeling right now, I think I have," I replied with a shaky voice.

"He was a warlock from hundreds of years ago. He was more feared than the Dark Lord in his time. It took hundreds of witches and wizards to destroy him. He was pure evil. Draco, this man that you are talking to, it could be him, reincarnated…." My father trailed off. I heard him shudder.

His story sounded familiar, but it could have easily been old folklore. Of course, listening to myself recite the unspeakable oath, something I had never wanted to do, it wasn't so farfetched that this man was Sceledrus Fade, evil warlock from hundreds of years ago.

The memory disappeared and I was in darkness again. I was deep in thought about what that one memory meant. Soon another memory was appearing. I waited as it began to materialize. It was quick, simply showing me researching in the office that I had taken the oath. I was able to look over my shoulder at what I was researching. I saw something about a veil and a broken archway. I frowned.

"Father, I'm researching information about a veil and a broken archway?" I said in a questioning tone.

My mother gasped. "The Death Chamber, Lucius," she muttered.

I was about to speak, when the memory changed again. This time it wasn't just a glimpse and this time it included Harry. This was a more recent memory because Harry looked exactly how he did in his picture in the auror department.

He was sitting at the dining room table in our kitchen. Memory me was standing at the stove, absently stirring something. He was looking at me with a worried expression. "Draco, come and sit down. Your soup is getting cold," he called out to me. Memory me stopped stirring and turned to look at him. I looked a bit older, and a bit paler, and my eyes had a far off look in them.

"Right, yes, I'm coming," memory me said in a dull tone. Memory me walked over to where Harry was sitting and sat across from him. Memory me started to eat the soup that had been on the table. Why was I stirring something that was on the stove when my soup was ready for me at the table? I frowned at memory me. I looked at Harry. He looked tired and very worried.

"Draco, babe, are you alright? Are you sick?" Harry asked in a soothing tone.

Memory me looked up at him and smiled. "Of course, I'm alright, how are you?" I cringed at how horrible I sounded. I was monotone and my smile was freaky. It didn't reach my eyes and I knew that my smile reached my eyes.

Harry smiled at me, but his smile didn't reach his eyes either. "I've been promoted to deputy head auror," he stated. This time he grinned wider and it was genuine.

Memory me stared at Harry as if trying to compute what Harry had said. "That's great, babe, congratulations!" memory me said in a tone that was not me at all.

Harry frowned at me. He cleared his throat. "We are going to celebrate tomorrow night. Will you be able to make it?" he asked.

"Of course, babe, I'll be there. I have to get back to work. I'll see you later," memory me said. Memory me stood up and leaned over to kiss Harry on the head. My movements were not fluid like a normal person.

"Will you be home tonight?" Harry asked. I could hear the need in his voice, the loss that he was feeling by how different I was. This had been two months ago, so Harry had already been experiencing the strange me for a month.

"Don't wait up for me," memory me said before I disappeared into the floo.

I didn't get to see the expression on Harry's face, but I knew it would be disappointment. The memory faded and I was in darkness again. "What happened then, Draco?" my mother asked.

"It was like I was under the imperius curse, but if that were true, how come I am not acting like that now?" I questioned.

"It must be a more ancient version, one that is not as strong. One that only works when you are in the place it was cast," my father stated.

Another memory started to appear. I watched as it materialized. I looked around and saw that I was in a dimly lit room. There was a large, stone basin that had stone benches around its edges. In the middle of the basin was a dais that had a crumbling arch that appeared to be suspended magically because it was crumbling, but nothing was supporting it. There was a black curtain that moved in a breeze even though there was none in the room. I could hear murmuring from behind the curtain. I was drawn to it for a moment when I realized that memory me was there, standing opposite of where I was standing now, studying the arch.

I walked around to get a closer look at what memory me was doing. I seemed to be staring at the arch and nothing else. "It's an amazing piece of magic, isn't it Draco?" memory me turned towards the voice while real me jumped at the sound of his voice.

Sceledrus practically floated down the steps towards memory me. "Yes, sir, it is amazing. Did you know that in my fifth year, something happened down here that involved my father and Harry Potter and some other Death Eaters?" memory me said absently.

I wanted to reach out and strangle memory me for opening my big mouth. I looked at Sceledrus and could see the calculating look in his eyes. "What happened, Draco?" he asked. I could feel the magic coming off of him again. He was trying to see into my mind.

Memory me shrugged. "I was never told. Harry nor my father has ever told me what happened down here."

Sceledrus frowned. I looked back at myself and realized that this couldn't have been too long ago, maybe a couple of weeks because I looked pretty close to how I looked now. "You should ask Harry what happened down here," he commanded smoothly. I focused more on the magic exchange between us and I caught something that I hadn't noticed before. As he sent dark magic towards me, light magic left me and went to him and he turned brighter, while I turned older and more worn down. He was the one sucking the life out of me and feeding himself. This may not be Sceledrus Fade reincarnated, but Sceledrus Fade from hundreds of years ago.

"It's not him reincarnated. It's the real him. He's drawing the life force out of me as he pushed the imperius curse towards me to get what he wants. He wants me to tell him what happened down there with you and Harry," I explained to my father.

My father sucked in a breath. "Did Mr. Potter ever tell you what happened?"

I shook my head. "I don't know…."

I focused back on the memory as it was still in front of me. "I will ask Harry what happened," memory me replied in a dull tone.

"Good, Draco, very good. Now, do you think you will be able to do what I want you to do?" he asked.

"Reverse the magic that is the veil and instead of taking life, bringing those who have passed through it or have died, back?" Memory me asked.

"Yes, Draco, can you do it?" he asked again. I watched the magic exchange between us again.

"Yes, I can. I have the spell here. It was buried deep within the vault of the Time Room. Would you like me to do this now?" Memory me asked.

"No, not yet. It must be perfect. We need the perfect conditions in order for the spell to work. In 3 days time, it will be perfect. Go, Draco, take a break, you've earned it, but don't stray too far. You need to be close, in order to complete the spell. You must sacrifice a life, in order for the spell to be complete," Sceledrus explained calmly.

"Whose life?" memory me questioned.

Sceledrus chuckled. "A one of great love and passion…." The memory cut out and I was suddenly thrust out of the bowl and back into my parent's dining room, sprawled across their floor. They rushed to my side and helped me sit up. I was shaking violently. Sceledrus wanted me to sacrifice a life of great love and passion. That could only mean one person, Harry. It also meant that this memory wasn't from a couple of weeks ago, but from yesterday, before Harry broke up with me and moved out.

I cried out and covered my mouth shaking my head in disbelief. "Harry. He is going to use Harry. I need to find him. I need to tell him to get as far away as possible! This is happening in two days!"

"Draco, you're not making any sense," my mother cried.

"Sceledrus, he wants me to complete a spell, to turn the veil into something that doesn't take lives, but brings back those who were taken. I don't think he wants good people, only evil. I'm the only one who knows the spell and can perform it. For some reason, he can't. What am I going to do?" I cried.

"You're going to calm down, first of all," someone said from behind me. My parents looked up and I whipped around because I knew that voice.

I was kneeling on the ground, staring over at Harry who was standing in the doorway. He stepped closer and smiled slightly at me. I leapt up and launched myself at him. He caught me in his arms and wrapped them tightly around me. He nuzzled my neck and I sobbed against his. He leaned back and looked at me, searching my eyes. I could see tears in his eyes. He smiled more broadly, the smile meeting his eyes and then he kissed me. It felt like our first kiss all over again and it filled me with such joy and happiness. I could feel darkness slipping away, and light coming back into me. I poured all the emotions that I had felt this day over losing Harry and remembering our most precious moments into our kiss and it fueled me.

"Merlin, Harry, I love you so much. I'm so sorry," I cried as I reluctantly broke our kiss.

He chuckled and nodded, a few tears streaming down his cheeks. I could see him trying to keep it together in front of my parents. "I love you, too," he whispered. He looked more closely at me and smiled a bit more. "There's my Draco," he said. He motioned towards a mirror that was on the wall to my right. I turned to look and saw that I looked younger. Not as young as I was, but younger than I had looked all day. Something was breaking down whatever spell was within me.

"I can't believe you're here, Harry. I've thought about you all day. That song, at the pub, it tore my heart out," I told him.

He nodded. "There was a spell in there. It was something that I had found in my research about what was happening to you. It is an ancient spell based around love. It was supposed to start breaking down the spell that is cast upon you. I knew that you still loved me and that this person you had become was not your own doing so I knew that if I did something like breaking up with you and moving out, that it would be enough of a shock to your system to start breaking down the spell. At least, I hoped it would. It looks like it did," he said.

"So, you were never truly leaving me?" I asked.

Harry laughed and shook his head. "No, of course not! Merlin, Draco, I love you more than anything. I couldn't leave you. Writing that song with the spell broke my heart just as much as it broke yours."

I smiled and sighed in relief. "So what now?" I asked. I wanted to stop whatever Sceledrus was planning and get back to my real life. The life I had three months ago or whenever it was that I had started to drift from Harry.

Harry looked over at my parents. "We plan on how we are going to stop this. We need to start by you telling me everything that you saw in your memories," Harry replied.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This is a tense chapter! After this will be two more chapters and then it's all done!**

After I explained everything that I had seen in my memories, Harry wanted me to return to the basin and see if we could unlock anymore. Nothing else was remembered. Apparently, the memory charm or whatever was over me was still strong. Harry sat on the conjured couch, deep in thought.

"You have to sacrifice someone of great love and passion which you are assuming is me, correct?" Harry asked.

"I'm not assuming. I'm telling you. There is no one else. Harry, you can't go through that veil," I insisted.

Harry shuddered. "I know, Draco. That's how I lost my godfather," he muttered.

My eyes widened and I looked at him. I heard my father suck in a breath behind me. I turned to look at him in time to see him look away from Harry. Harry didn't look at him, but I could see the tension that he was exuding towards my father. "I didn't know. You've never told me about your time there," I said quietly. I sat down next to him and placed my hand on his leg. He placed his hand over mine and intertwined our fingers.

"With good reason, obviously," he responded heatedly. I cringed at his harsh tone and looked at my father again. He looked ashamed of himself, but said nothing. "I'm sorry, Lucius. It's in the past, you've made amends; I'm in love with your son. That's not the issue here. The issue is figuring out how we are going to get into the Death Chamber and stop Sceledrus Fade from completing this spell," he continued.

My mouth dropped open in surprise. Harry and my father had a tense relationship and it was always a bit awkward when they were in the same room together, the fact that he apologized to him was unbelievable.

"No need to apologize, Mr. Potter," my father said quietly.

I wanted to say something, but I suddenly felt very strange. My body began tingling and I felt a tugging sensation in my core. I gripped Harry's leg as I felt the pull from earlier that day. I was being summoned.

Harry looked over at me in alarm. "Draco, what is it?"

I looked up at him and he gasped. "I, uh…. Harry, I'm being summoned," I stuttered.

Harry gripped my hand tightly because he could feel me pulling away. "Draco, you've aged again," he whispered.

I shook my head. I wanted to cry again. "I need to go. Whatever needs to be done to stop this, it needs to be done now. We can't wait any longer," I said as strongly as I could.

My mother handed me a potion. "Drink this. It will block whatever magic he is using on you, but will allow you to still act as if the magic is working. You'll know what to do and he won't know a difference. Take this as well," she explained as she handed me a ball of silver twine. I stared at it in confusion, but placed it in my pocket. I drank the potion. I didn't feel any different after taking it. She had handed one to Harry as well and he drank it. I assumed that it protected him the same way it protected me.

"Let's go, Draco. We will fix this," Harry assured me as he stood and pulled me up. I stood there shaking slightly in fear. The pull was getting stronger. My mother hugged me tightly and kissed both my cheeks. My father gave me an encouraging hug before Harry and I walked over to the floo and disappeared into the flames.

**XXXX**

We arrived on the Atrium level. The pull had intensified. Harry stood beside me gripping my hand. "Draco, just calm down. I'll figure something out, I promise. Where is the twine your mother gave you?" Harry asked.

I handed it to him. He unraveled it and wrapped it around his waist, tying it tightly against him. He handed it back to me and nodded expectantly. I took it and unraveled a few meters before I tied it around my waist and returned the excess to my pocket. Harry cast an elasticity spell as well as an invisibility spell to cover it. I started to laugh because it reminded me of a fairy tale where you tie one end to something so that you can find your way back.

"It's like a fairy tale," I said between laughs. Harry laughed with me. We got into the lifts and I hesitated before pushing the button for my department.

"Draco, remember, I love you and that as soon as all of this is over, we can get back to our life, okay?" Harry assured me.

I felt my mind clear some at his words. "I love you too, Harry," I replied. I turned towards him and kissed him deeply. He returned the kiss, gripped my robes to increase the pressure between us. I couldn't even begin to think about how long it had been since we had kissed like we had tonight.

We broke apart a moment before the lift doors opened. We stepped out of the lift, still holding hands, and turned towards the hallway to the black door. The pull was stronger and its power overcame me. I felt like I had turned on autopilot. I started towards the door, pulling Harry with me. I vaguely felt his grip tighten on my hand. I smiled at him and I could tell by the look on his face that the aged me was back, but I also knew that the old me, before all this had happened, was in my head and that Sceledrus's power wouldn't overcome me.

I opened the door and we stepped through. I looked around and went to my right, opening the third door to my right. I stepped through and pulled Harry in behind me. He sucked in a breath next to me. I looked over at him and saw the fear in his eyes. The fog that was over me lifted for just a moment as I squeezed his hand in reassurance. He looked at me and I saw a grateful smile form on his lips. I wanted to kiss them, but something told me not to. I turned away and looked around. The dais was in the middle of the stone pit. I walked towards it and started down the steps. I stopped short as I saw Sceledrus standing near the dais. I felt a tremor next to me and I realized that Harry had put a shield around himself. He did not put one around me which confused me.

"There you are, Draco. I thought for a moment that you wouldn't have come," Sceledrus said.

"I apologize, sir, I took your relaxing advice to heart and was napping," I told him.

He nodded slightly and then his eyes settled on Harry. "I see you've brought a guest," he said sounding genuinely intrigued.

"Yes, sir, I did. He is my sacrifice," I replied. The old me was cursing possessed me. Merlin, how could I even think of putting Harry in danger.

Sceledrus began to cackle. He cackled louder throwing his head back as he laughed. Harry shuddered next to me. I glanced down at him, in a brief moment of clarity and saw how scared he was.

"Sacrifice?" Harry said his voice shaking. I knew that he was scared so sounding scared was not an act.

I looked at him and I knew that I was back to my imperiused self. "Yes, you are my great sacrifice. I need you so I can complete the spell to reverse the magic of the veil," I told him in a flat tone.

Harry let go of my hand and tried to move back towards the door. I felt the string tug between us. I heard Harry cry out and saw as he was hurled back, past me, and into the pit. The string tugged slightly at me so I moved down so that I was closer to Harry. Possessed me just stared down at Harry in confusion. Harry lied there, unmoving.

"Tsk, tsk, Harry Potter. I wouldn't try that again," Sceledrus scolded. I looked down at Harry again and saw him pushing himself up. He cringed and clutched his side as he pulled himself up. He was standing next to the veil and I could see him focusing on it. He was hearing the voices that come from behind the veil. He looked as if he were in a trance.

"Shall I perform the spell now?" I asked.

Sceledrus looked thoughtful and then he looked over at me and his eyes were deep pools of darkness that chilled me to the bone. "Yes, it is time," he replied.

I knew that it hadn't been three days so I wondered why he wanted to do this now. I wondered if doing this too early would work in our favor. I walked up to Harry and tugged on his arm. He turned his attention away from the veil and looked at me. His green eyes were glazed over for a moment before they finally cleared and were focused on me.

"It is time," I said to him, gripping his arms. Harry searched my eyes and my mind cleared.

Harry took that moment to lean forward and kiss me hard. He poured his love into me and I felt it run through me, warming me to my core. Whatever spell that Sceledrus had on me, it was gone. Then Harry shoved me and I flew backwards.

"I am not your sacrifice!" Harry yelled. I stood up and looked at him in disbelief and then I saw a glimmer in his eyes that showed me just what he was trying to do.

I lunged at him and took him to the ground. We rolled across the ground fighting each other as he tried to get away. He started running towards the stairs as I stood up. I saw the jet of light coming from behind the dais and I knew that Sceledrus was growing tired of Harry's fighting against me. Harry flew back again and landed hard next to me. I looked down at him.

"Get on with it!" Sceledrus cried, his calm demeanor crumbling. My eyes snapped up to him. His expression was dark and evil. He was getting impatient.

Harry pulled himself up. He was standing a couple of meters from the dais. His lip was bleeding as was his nose. He glared at me. "I should have left you months ago, you insufferable prat. At least then, this spell that you're about to perform would never have happened," Harry seethed.

I glared over at him, reminding myself that this was just an act. I stood up straighter and lifted my wand. I began saying the spell. It was a long spell filled with many ancient words that took me a long time to learn the pronunciation. I had remembered that since I had returned here tonight. There was one word in the spell that I mispronounced frequently, and I knew that this was the time to mispronounce it because then the spell would not work.

I continued muttering it, waving my wand in random patterns which would also guarantee that the spell wouldn't work. I noticed that Sceledrus was moving closer to Harry, and I noticed that he had something shiny in his hand, a dagger.

I cut the spell short and leapt forward, throwing myself at Harry. Sceledrus fell back as Harry threw out his arm, hitting him in the chest and that movement caused him to move just enough that I slammed into Harry's upper body and over his shoulder, falling towards the veil. I heard Harry cry out as I tumbled through the veil and fell into an abyss of great darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So this is kind of a cliche way to end it, but I've been watching a lot of fairy tales (my daughter loves them of course). There will be an epilogue after this chapter. Enjoy!**

I hadn't thought about dying in many years. It never occurred to me after Voldemort had died. I didn't consider what I was dealing with right now death. There were people floating in this abyss with me. I felt tugs on my arms and legs as they tried to pull me further and further into its depths. I felt their sorrows and they weighed heavily on me. I just wanted to get away from them, but there was nowhere for me to go. I touched my side and felt moisture. Had I been stabbed or something? No, I had prevented Harry from being stabbed by Sceledrus. Harry! I looked around me, seeking the entrance into the veil. I wanted to get there and come back out. I wished that I had actually said the spell correctly so that I could get out, but then all these other souls would be able to cross back over and by the looks of a few floating nearby, that would not be a good idea.

Realization settled in with the fact that I had crossed the veil and there was no coming back. If Sceledrus killed Harry, I wouldn't see him here. Those who passed through the veil were the only ones who were here. Sceledrus wouldn't allow Harry to be in here with me. I had betrayed him so to speak. Harry's love for me had conquered the ancient warlock's hold over me. He would never allow Harry to float with me. Not that we would be together because as I floated here, I started to feel tired and feel my mind going blank. I imagined that even if we floated near each other that we wouldn't see one another. Our souls were purer than the evil looking ones from earlier.

My eyes were beginning to grow heavy. I saw a person floating past me and I looked at them. I recognized them as Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. He had a peaceful, yet blank look on his face. His eyes were closed and I knew that how he looked, is how I would look very soon.

I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them again. They were so heavy. I noticed a figure falling towards me. I moved myself to the left to avoid the figure. When they went passed me, I recognized them. It was Sceledrus Fade. I smiled and closed my eyes. Harry had defeated him. That meant that Harry was safe. I felt at peace.

**XXXX**

Harry's POV

I sensed that Sceledrus was moving closer to me. I could read the expression on Draco's face. Sceledrus meant to hurt me. I glanced sideways at him and just as Draco leapt towards me, I brought my arm out and surprised Sceledrus, knocking him to the ground. I felt the dagger skim across my arm and I knew it had cut me open, but in that moment, Draco was tumbling over my left shoulder. I turned to try and grab him, but it was too late. He had fallen through the veil. I cried out in despair as I felt the tug of the twine that had been wrapped around our waists. It pulled me up against the dais, but I brought my hands out to stop my fall.

I stared into the dais and heard voices calling to me. I pulled away, fighting back the tears that were pooling at the corners of my eyes. I had to take care of Sceledrus. He had recovered from his fall and was pulling himself up to face me. He levelled me with an evil glare that chilled me to my core. I raised my wand at him. He started to laugh maniacally and I cringed at the sound.

"You've solved nothing, Potter! I can find someone else to reverse the magic. That's what I've been doing for hundreds of years. All you've done is sent your true love into an abyss that he can never come back from. And now, I can kill you and no one will be the wiser," Sceledrus said in a threatening tone.

"Draco isn't the first one you've tasked with this?" I asked in disbelief. That distracted him for a moment. Long enough for me to figure out what I was going to do next. I needed to get Draco out and I wasn't even sure the twine was still working. I hoped that it was.

Sceledrus laughed. "Of course not. He is the first of many that seemed like he'd be able to do it though. It's unfortunate that I misjudged his intellect, but no matter, he's dead so all is well," he replied evilly.

Sceledrus continued to laugh and I took that moment to stun him with the strongest stun I had ever done. He flew backwards several feet and slammed into the stone steps. It seemed to be too easy to defeat such a powerful warlock, but then again, he'd probably lost a lot of his power over the hundreds of years that he'd been hiding out in the Department of Mysteries. I looked into the veil and then tugged on the string. It was still taut which I hoped meant it was still attached to Draco.

I glanced back at Sceledrus and he was gone. My eyes widened in fear as I looked around. I couldn't move from where I was due to possibly losing Draco. I listened closely for any sound that he was nearby. Nothing. It was absolutely silent. I cast a silent spell, placing a shield around me and I took a couple of steps back to give myself some space from the dais, just in case his goal was to try and throw me in there as well.

I heard a noise behind me and whipped around. The twine pulled me backwards and I fell to the ground. Standing above me was Sceledrus again. He had his dagger raised, ready to fall at me at the snap of his fingers.

"You know, I've been down here for so long that I had forgotten that the world continued on without me. I had forgotten that new magic could be created. Of course, no shield can protect you from a solid metal dagger. It's not a spell, Harry Potter. It will penetrate your shield. Why even try to protect yourself? Why not just let me kill you and then life can once again go on? Draco is already gone, what have you got left to live for?" Sceledrus contemplated.

I wanted to stand up and face him on my own two feet, but the dagger was too close and I was afraid that whatever I did, it would still hit me. I tried to think of some way to get myself out of this, but I was coming up blank. My hand brushed against my leg as I tried to think of something and then that's when I remembered I had something from the Weasley shop in my pocket. I grinned. Sceledrus didn't like that.

"You're right, Sceledrus, this shield cannot protect me from that dagger. What can protect me is simply a trick. Would you like to see it?" I asked.

Sceledrus glared down at me. "A trick?" I nodded. He thought about it for a moment and then chuckled darkly. "Why not? I can be merciful enough to give you one last trick," he replied.

I grinned. I pulled out the object in my pocket. It was just a tiny ball. It was bright green. I held it in my palm and looked up at Sceledrus. "Catch," I said as I tossed the ball at him. His eyes widened in surprise as he reached out to catch the ball. As soon as I had thrown it, I rolled to my right. The tiny green ball exploded into green goo and the dagger fell straight down, right where I had been lying.

Sceledrus cried out as he tried to wipe the green goo from his face. I rolled under his feet as he scrambled forward, blindly, trying to get the green goo off of is eyes. He tripped over me and I looked up in time to see him tumbling towards the dais and then through the veil with a scream.

I smiled triumphantly and stood up. The twine was wrapped around me so I carefully walked over to the dais. There was still a strong pull on it so I was confident that Draco was still attached. I started pulling on it and could tell I was pulling up something rather heavy. I sincerely hoped this would work. It had to. I had already spent too much time away from Draco. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life without him.

I tugged and pulled on this string and it seemed like it went on forever. I kept reminding myself that we had given it a lot of slack, but this seemed like too much. Where was he? I walked closer to the dais, trying to see through the veil, but I saw nothing. Finally, I pulled hard once more and suddenly something was coming back through the veil. Familiar blonde hair was appearing and as I continued to pull, more and more of Draco appeared. I held onto the twine, my heart was racing, and I gripped his cloak and pulled him out completely.

I backed us up as far from the dais as I could before I looked Draco over. He looked peaceful which scared me. "Draco, come on, wake up for me. Wake up," I said to him as I shook him gently. He didn't respond. He didn't move. I couldn't even tell if he was breathing. I looked around to see if there was anything that would help me wake him up, but there was nothing. I started to cry, unable to think straight about what I was going to do to get him back, if there was anything I could do.

I knew that something was going to happen to Draco. The second I told him that I loved him was the second that his life was in danger. Something always happened to those I loved. I didn't necessarily lose them like Ron and Hermione. I loved them both deeply and neither one had been taken from me, just put in danger more times than I could count. Love was both my enemy and my strength. Love can heal all wounds. _Love can heal all wounds. _I looked up. There was a locked door down here that was the Love Room. Not much was known about it, but I wondered if we could get in. Maybe something in there could help us.

I stood up and then scooped Draco up in my arms. I rushed as quickly as I could up the steps and to the door. When we stepped into the circular room, my hopes were shot down as I realized I had no clue which door lead to the love room. I looked at all the doors and they all looked the same of course. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head. I needed to use my instincts. I opened my eyes again and looked to my left. I walked towards a door that seemed to be pulling me towards it. I tried the knob when I got to it and it wouldn't turn. It was locked. This had to be it.

I looked down at Draco and saw that he was ghostly pale. I took one of his hands and put it at the door knob. The knob lit up a bright red and then I heard a click and it opened. It had worked! I pushed the door open more and carried Draco into the room. This room was definitely the Love Room. Now how was this going to help? I saw a love seat (of course) and placed Draco on it. I knelt down next to him. I placed my head on his chest and heard his heart beating faintly. I smiled as I took both is hands into my own and held them at my lips. I closed my eyes and started murmuring anything that I could think of to help him. I told him that I loved him and that I needed him and that my life wouldn't be complete without him.

I kissed any place that was exposed trying to will my love into him. I had blocked out everything around me. There could have been other witches and wizards watching me, but I wouldn't have noticed. "Merlin, please, Draco wake up. I can't do this life without you," I begged. I sat back on my heels and looked down at him. He didn't look any different. He was still ghostly pale. I was beginning to wonder if I should take him to St. Mungos, but then I heard a noise behind me and saw a witch watching me which distracted me.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked. Her voice was melodic. It instantly soothed me.

"He fell through the veil and I pulled him out. I thought that coming to the Love Room would bring him out of whatever is happening here. His heart is still beating," I explained.

The woman tilted her head to the side and looked at me peculiarly. "Nothing can come out of the veil once it's gone in," she stated.

"Draco did. We were attached by twine and I was able to pull him back out. I know it sounds absurd, but it's the truth. Is there anything that can be done?" I begged.

She walked over and knelt down beside me. She placed her hand on Draco's head and closed her eyes. I continued to hold Draco's hands in my own as I watched her. A smile touched her lips before she opened her eyes. She smiled at me. "Your love is true," she said in a dreamy tone.

I looked down at Draco and felt my heart constrict. "Of course it is. I love him more than I ever thought possible," I replied quietly.

She placed a finger under my chin and had me look at her. "All hope is not lost. Draco needs to feel your love. It is just out of his reach."

I stared at her and then turned to look at Draco. It seemed so cliché to try to kiss him like they did in the fairy tales, but we were in the love room and this lady sure seemed like someone who knew what she was talking about. I stood and sat on the edge of the love seat next to Draco. This seemed so strange to me, but he needed to feel my love.

I closed my eyes as I leaned down, bringing all the love I had from him to the forefront of my mind. In the past three months, he had drifted so far from me, but I never questioned our love. I knew that something had been wrong with him and I knew that under whatever curse he was under that he still loved me deeply.

I pressed my lips to his, releasing all my feelings into our kiss. He had to feel my love for him. The love I had always had for him. He wasn't responding and I almost broke away, but then I felt his hands tighten around mine and his lips returning the kiss. I smiled against his lips and felt tears pooling at the corners of my eyes again.

I pulled away and looked down at him. His eyes were open and they were back to their mischievous gray. He had returned to looking the age that he actually was and he was no longer ghostly pale or ashen. He was back to normal. I smiled wider and laughed as I leaned forward to kiss him again. He was alive. Somehow he had come back from the veil.

"That was a ride that I do not want to repeat again," he said to me when I finally allowed him to get some air.

"Merlin, Draco, I was so worried," I cried.

He laughed. "You had me the entire time. You managed to keep a hold of me as well as defeating _another_ dark wizard," he teased.

I blushed and looked away. The woman had disappeared. I frowned slightly since I had been unable to thank her. Draco followed my gaze as I looked around. "Looking for someone?" he asked. He sounded a bit alarmed.

"There was a woman who had told me what to do to wake you up. She's not here anymore though. Thank you," I called out in case she was somewhere that she could hear me.

Draco nodded and then looked back at me. He glanced at the tear in my sleeve and then sat up straighter to look more closely at it. "Harry, we need to get you to St. Mungos," he stated.

I hummed and looked down at my arm. It was oozing blood. Oh, that's right, I had been cut by the dagger. I had forgotten that. "Oh, that looks like it might need some stitches," I responded in an unconcerned tone.

Draco looked up at me in alarm. "Are you kidding me? I can see your muscle!" he cried as he scrambled up from the love seat and started to drag me towards the door. "Honestly, Harry, how does that not hurt?" he demanded as he dragged me out of the love room.

I smiled giddily as I listened to him go on and on about how I need to pay more attention to myself and stop worrying so much about others and berating me for not noticing my injury sooner. I glanced over my shoulder, back into the room, and saw the woman standing by the love seat. She smiled at me in a way that was both comforting and disconcerting. I ignored it though and continued to listen to Draco ramble as he walked us out of the Department of Mysteries. Hopefully, we'd never have to come back in here again.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here is the last chapter. More cliches, but eh, oh well :) Enjoy! Thanks for reading it all!**

Epilogue

Draco's POV

Harry had to get several stitches and stay overnight at St. Mungos to be sure no infection formed. I had to stay a night as well due to my trip through the veil. I felt fine, but since no one had ever gone into the veil and come out of the veil, they thought it best to keep a close eye on me. I hadn't told Harry that I had seen Sirius. I now knew what had happened in that room the first time Harry had been in there, and I wasn't about to add to Harry's heartache that he still had about losing his godfather.

We had returned home after our night's stay at St. Mungos and Harry's things had already been moved back in while we were there. The house felt whole again and I felt like myself. I had turned in my resignation to the Department of Mysteries and decided to go back to my original passion of potions. For the most part it was a much safer venture than the Department of Mysteries. Our lives returned to normal, the normal that we had before I was promoted. My mind was still a bit fuzzy during those three months especially, but I had determined that they weren't memories that I wanted to remember anyway. I didn't want to remember the hurt that Harry felt every time I let him down or the crazy evilness of Sceledrus Fade. I just wanted to enjoy the new memories that Harry and I were creating. Life was back to normal for us and that's all that mattered.

**XXXX**

Fast forward several months

I sat at the same booth that Harry and I always sat at. He was late once again. You would think after four years that I would understand this about him and usually it didn't bother me, but tonight was special. I had missed our last first date anniversary and I wasn't about to have this one ruined as well.

The pub door opened and Harry walked in looking very similar to our first date. He was blushing deeply and hurrying towards me. He had a sheepish smile on his face. I crossed my arms and narrowed my gaze at him. "You're late, love," I said in slight annoyance. He leaned over and tried to kiss me, but I turned my head just so that he grazed the corner of my mouth. He sighed and leaned back. He took off his cloak and settled in across from me.

"I'm sorry, but I had to get you a gift and it took longer than I had anticipated," he replied.

I perked up at the mention of a gift. "A gift? You didn't already have one before today?" I questioned, pouting slightly.

He grinned. "Yes, I had it well before today, but I needed to have a few finishing touches applied before I could give it to you," he replied.

This piqued my interest more. "Oh?" I questioned. He smiled broader and then brought out a small box from his pocket. He set it on the table and slid it towards me. I stared down at it with wide eyes. My heart started to race. Is this what I think it is?

I reached out and picked it up with a shaky hand. I took a deep breath before I opened it up. My mouth dropped open in surprise and I'm pretty sure I gasped. It was exquisite. The background was black with infinity symbols etched into the stone. Within each loop of the infinity symbols there was an emerald stone and a stone that was the exact shade of my eyes. I examined the band on the inside and Harry had inscribed it in his own handwriting, "I will love you always." It was amazing. I felt undignified with the tears that were currently streaming down my cheeks, but it didn't matter. I had just been given the most precious gift.

I looked up and Harry was no longer in his seat, but kneeling next to me on one knee. This had to be the most cliché thing he had ever done, next to the whole kissing me to wake me thing. I looked down at him and smiled, shaking my head at how ridiculous I was feeling in this moment.

He took the ring out of the box and picked up my left hand. "Draco, I can't promise you that we won't ever fight or that I won't drive you crazy or make you worry all night, but I can guarantee you that I will always take care of you and that I will always be careful, and that I will always love you. Will you marry me?"

His green eyes were bright and hopeful. My heart was gushing in this very moment. This was so unreal. I smiled at him. "Do I even need to answer?" I questioned, my voice cracking slightly.

He shrugged. "It is cliché after all," he said with a wink.

I shook my head and laughed. "Fine then, of course I'll marry you," I replied. He smiled brightly at me and slipped the ring on my finger. He stood and pulled me up and kissed me soundly. The pub erupted in cheers. Definitely cliché, but I didn't care. My life was finally back to normal and Harry was still by my side. Life couldn't get any better, could it?


End file.
